1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an extinguisher or discharge assembly and, more particularly, to a hydro-pneumatic fire extinguisher or discharge assembly.
2. Background Art
In general, the use of extinguishers or discharge assemblies to fight fires and the like are known. Fire extinguishers are useful in a myriad of different environments (e.g., for commercial, industrial, military and/or residential applications). However, conventional traditional cylinder based fire extinguishers generally will only operate properly if the cylinder is held in an substantially upright position relative to gravity. For example, the cylinder or housing of conventional extinguishers typically contains an internal dip tube which generally runs to the bottom of the cylinder or housing. The contents of the cylinder are typically pressurized (e.g., via pressurized air) at the top of the container. When the extinguisher is fired, the pressurized fire fighting fluid or agent generally gets pushed or forced up through the dip tube and released from the valve. However, if the cylinder is in a position other than substantially upright (e.g., relative to gravity), the pressurized air gets introduced into the dip tube (which allows the pressurized air to be released) but not the fire fighting fluid or agent, which ultimately renders the extinguisher inoperable.
Such a result is highly undesirable in many situations when a user desires to utilize an extinguisher to fight a fire. For example, military vehicles in combat zones are susceptible to attacks and/or fire from many sources (e.g., enemy fire, improvised explosive devices, etc.). Moreover, military vehicles that have been attacked and/or hit by an improvised explosive device often tip and/or flip over, resulting in the cylinders of the extinguishers being carried by such military vehicles (and/or carried by the personnel in the vehicles) to be in a position other than substantially upright relative to gravity. As such, these conventional extinguishers whose cylinders that are now in a position other than substantially upright will not operate properly, as the pressurized air gets introduced into the dip tube but not the fire fighting fluid or agent, which ultimately renders the extinguishers inoperable.
Thus, despite efforts to date, a need remains for improved and efficient extinguishers or discharge assemblies that will fire or release a fire fighting agent while the cylinder or housing of the extinguisher or discharge assembly is oriented in any position or angle relative to gravity. These and other inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement are addressed and/or overcome by the assemblies, systems and methods of the present disclosure.